


Picture Perfect

by teaberrii



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:54:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaberrii/pseuds/teaberrii
Summary: When Naminé was a teenager, a boy saved her in the mountains. She imagined meeting him again; her infatuation was evident in the pages of her sketchbook. Yet, when dreams became a reality, he was much more complicated than she thought.Note: This story contains elements of depression and suicide.
Relationships: Kairi/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Naminé/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Sketchbook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naminé takes a job offer at Artful, a reputable Internet company. When her cousin, Kairi, comes to help her move, the redhead discovers an old sketchbook.

"Thanks for coming, Kairi."

"What would you do without me?"

The blonde smiled. "I'd be lost. That's for sure."

As the redhead stepped into her cousin's minimalistic apartment, she wasn't surprised at how tidy it was despite the upcoming move. Naminé always liked to be one step ahead. After politely declining Naminé's offer of refreshments, they went to Naminé's studio that had twice more boxes than the living room.

The blonde artist rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't know I kept so many old art supplies. I threw out a bunch of old brushes and paints just this morning."

Kairi laughed. "Seems like you're doing pretty good." Her gaze swept the artist's small black and white studio that smelled like fresh paint. On one side was her work table that was littered with paints, canvases and brushes. On the other was a Macbook equipped with a wireless mouse, keyboard, and graphics tablet. Beside it, was her tall bookshelf of art books and modern-day literature. "I'll handle the books?"

Naminé nodded, and the girls got to work.

When the artist told her cousin that she took an opportunity as a graphic designer at Artful, a reputable and one of the largest Internet companies in the country, Kairi was ecstatic. The redhead was even happier that the position was in Radiant Gardens, the city in which she was living. She couldn't wait to really show Naminé the beautiful, busy city. Her cousin's been down there a couple of times during the summer and winter. As Naminé was born and raised in Twilight Town, a small but cozy city, living in the big city would be a whole other experience.

"Do you feel homesick already?" Kairi asked as she picked up a pile of books and placed it in a box.

"Sort of," the blonde admitted. "Apparently, Hayner's got a relative living there, so he said the three would come to visit in the summer."

"Oh, I remember him. Blonde, a bit taller than average height, and extremely impulsive, right?"

Naminé chuckled. "Yeah, sort of. He's matured since you last met him."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "I hope so. I hope he knows I wanted to slap him when he compared my hair to a tomato the first day we met."

"Didn't he treat us to ice-cream the next time you came?"

"Yeah, but that was one time," Kairi said. "The trauma still remains. Anyway, who are the other two? Have I met them before?"

"You were supposed to meet Olette a couple of times, but it never worked out. She's finishing her master's in information studies in a few months."

"Wow, is she going to be a librarian?"

"Yeah, that was her plan the last time we talked. It suits her." Naminé reached for the duct tape and ripped a large strip off. "Maybe she'll come down to Radiant Gardens one day. I'm sure she'll have tons of book recommendations for you."

"I have a feeling we'll get along." The artist chuckled. "What?"

"Nothing." Naminé replied. "Just, er, you might be a bit surprised." Kairi narrowed her eyes, but her cousin quickly changed the topic. "And you remember Pence? He came by one summer when you caught the flu when you were here." The blonde had just finished duct-taping the box full of her art supplies.

Kairi grabbed a handful of books and placed them in the box. "Yeah, yeah, I remember him! He's such a good-natured kid. I still remember his awesome clam chowder. How's he doing?"

"He's a programmer now. We might be able to see him more often since his company has a branch in Radiant Gardens. He's thinking of getting a transfer there."

"Seriously? That's great!" The redhead gestured to her cousin to pass the tape. Naminé tossed it to her. "It'll be pretty cool if we all get to hang out one day."

Naminé had grabbed a damp cloth and was wiping off her work table. "Has Sora been busy lately? I remember you mentioned that he started volunteering for a children's camp or something?"

Kairi ripped off a broad strip of duct tape. "Yeah, it's a summer program kind of thing. He just started last summer. The kids are great, and the theme changes every year. Maybe you can come and teach an art class."

"Teach? Me? I don't know about that…" The redhead stood up and pushed the large box aside.

"Why not? I think you'd make a great teacher if you weren't so into designing. You certainly have the patience."

Naminé shuffled an empty box towards her cousin's direction. "I'll think about it."

Kairi quickly pulled the empty box towards her and smiled. "I'm pretty sure Sora would love to have you."

"What was the theme last time?"

"Fairy tales," Kairi looked a little distraught at the thought.

Naminé tossed the damp, dirty cloth aside. "Why the long face?"

The redhead glanced at her cousin. "Promise you won't tell anyone.”

"You have my word." The blonde climbed atop a stool and reached for a painting on the wall.

Kairi removed a book from the shelf and took a small breath. "Sora and I had to act out The Little Mermaid."

As Naminé looked towards her cousin, hands still on the painting, there was a moment of silence. "Act? As in… acting?"

The redhead shot her cousin a quick glare. "Well, duh, Naminé. What else could I have meant?"

"I never knew you could act." The blonde carefully removed the painting, she was smiling widely, holding back a belly laugh.

With a book in her hands, Kairi pointed it at her cousin. "I totally caught the sarcasm in that!"

"So… let me guess. You were Ariel? Sora was… Eric?"

"Rated E for everyone."

Naminé placed the painting gently on her work table. "There's gotta be some pictures!"

"None," Kairi said flatly.

"Bet the kids loved it, though."

The redhead sighed. "At least I didn't suffer for nothing."

As much as Naminé wanted to continue teasing her cousin, she decided to drop the subject and opted to get some drinks from the kitchen. Just as the blonde left, Kairi noticed a dark blue spine sandwiched between two books. Curious, she pulled it out. It was no bigger than a novel with a blank, smooth, dark blue cover. Near the end of the book, a light blue ribbon was tucked between the brownish pages.

"Hey, I brought some coffee," Naminé said suddenly, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee, both with two creams and two sugars.

Kairi turned to her and held up the old sketchbook. "What's this?"

The blonde placed the tray on another smaller table. "Oh, wow, I forgot about all about that." She walked toward her cousin, then took it from her. "It's my high school sketchbook."

As Naminé opened it, Kairi stood up and leaned toward her. The artist began flipping through the filled pages with random doodles or full body sketches of celebrities and video game characters.

Kairi suddenly pointed to a tall male with spikey hair. "Everyone was obsessed with Cloud back in the day. You totally captured his charisma." "

I tried," Namine said, smiling, "I remember we were both heartbroken when he started dating."

"I was devastated for two weeks." As the blonde flipped the page, Kairi smiled. "But then he came along," the redhead pointed at the drawing of Zack, "and we were both a-okay," the girls finished simultaneously.

"Why did you never show me this?" Kairi asked.

"I forgot about it," Naminé replied honestly. "After high school, I sorta just left it."

Suddenly, Kairi stopped her cousin from turning the page. The artist looked at her, confused, her eyes looking from her drawing to the redhead. "What? What is it?"

"Can I see that for a second?" Kairi took the book from her. Her attention entirely focused on a realistic sketch of a male teenager with spikey hair. "Who's this?"

Naminé stared at her drawing that was once her intense infatuation. She hadn't thought about this stranger for years, yet she felt strangely nostalgic. "I don't know."

Kairi stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, really." The artist took the old sketchbook from her cousin. "Do you remember that one winter that I got lost in the mountains?"

"Yeah, my parents and I almost got a heart attack."

"Well, someone–"

_"Don't tell anyone that you were with someone. You wandered here alone, got it?"_

So many years had passed, yet Naminé could recall his rich voice and suddenly, the scent of his cologne. As he piggybacked her toward a wooden cabin, it had kept her awake in the cold. Despite his cold demeanour, he stayed and took care of her. However, he never answered any of her questions, including the one about his name. The next day, when the authorities found her warm and alive, the boy was already gone.

Naminé was young and in love. During classes, she subconsciously started doodling him between her notebook. As months went by, she began sketching him in her sketchbook to make sure she would never forget the boy who saved her that day. Yet, her fantasies grew old and knowing she would never see the boy again, she painfully moved on. She had kept his secret for so many years; she didn't see a reason to keep it anymore.

"That day, someone saved me," Naminé finally finished. "I don't know who he was. But this boy was the one who brought me to that cabin."

The shock and slight anger were evident on Kairi's face. Naminé couldn't blame her. "You said you wandered there alone."

"That's what he wanted me to say," the blonde said embarrassingly. "He didn't want anyone to know I was with someone. Don't ask me why. I'm just as clueless as you are."

Kairi was looking at her cousin seriously. "I think I've seen him before."

"What?" Naminé blurted. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, I don't know if this is actually him, but… he looks a lot like Sora's twin brother."

The blonde was at a loss for words. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, she finally babbled, "What? Since… You've never mentioned Sora had a twin brother!"

"I didn't know either. It might sound ridiculous, but it was when Sora and I were looking through old photos. He seemed a bit shocked that there were still photos of him and his brother in there."

"So, you've never seen him in person?"

The redhead shook her head. "Nah, only through photos."

Curiosity still nipped at her. "Do you think I can ask Sora about him?"

"You could try. But Sora didn't seem to know a lot about him. Besides, it's been so long. And I don't know if that's really him or not." Naminé almost wanted to laugh. What if she had just broken her promise that day? Who kept them nowadays, anyway? She suddenly felt incredibly stupid and pathetic. "I'm actually surprised, though. Have you told anyone else about this? What really happened that day?" Kairi asked.

"No, I kept that promise for all these years, only to find out that he was probably closer than I thought."

As Naminé carelessly tossed the sketchbook on the floor, it flipped to another page further in the sketchbook. It was the same boy, except he was wearing a sports uniform. Kairi smiled slightly. She knew her cousin had a thing for athletic guys when they were younger. The redhead reached down and picked up the book. She casually flipped through the pages.

There he was again. Only this time, he was playing the violin. Kairi briefly recalled her cousin trying and failing at the violin when they took lessons together. The next was him cooking. The page after was him on a motorcycle. Then, there was him sitting in front of a campfire, only this time, Naminé had drawn herself in beside him. While hugging their knees, they were looking at each other with warm smiles. Kairi flipped to the last page, which was of him and Naminé facing each other, a cozy-looking scarf around their necks, and foreheads touching their faces with the brightest smile.

Kairi closed the sketchbook. "Did you want to bring this with you?"

"Nah, forget it," the blonde, who had gone back to her packing, didn't spare a glance at the book. "I'll toss it out with the garbage tonight."

"Okay, if you say so." Instead, the redhead tucked it between the box and the rest of her cousin's books and duct-taped it shut.


	2. Roxas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naminé learns about her mysterious saviour through an ex-boyfriend and finally finds out his name.

_Hey! Sora and I will drop by after our meeting today! Riku said he’ll come help out. He’ll let you know when he’s coming._

Kairi’s text came early in the morning. Naminé knew her cousin and Sora had a mock thesis defence with their professors. So, the artist was already mentally prepared for her busy and exhausting moving day. Riku’s text came soon after.

_Here_

As soon as Naminé opened the door, she saw her silver-haired friend holding a bag of snacks. “Thought we might need to recharge,” he said with a small smile.

“You got that right,” she chuckled.

While Naminé and Riku had dated for a year in university, they had rekindled their friendship a few months after they mutually broke up. A few years down the road, they felt comfortable talking about their past relationship.

“Wow, this place feels very… you,” Riku said, looking around her small but comfortable place.

“Er, is that supposed to be a compliment?” The blonde eyed the unpacked boxes, dust, and trash that was scattered everywhere.

“I was talking about the layout, Naminé,” Riku clarified. “It’s almost an exact replica of your last place. I see you still haven’t moved on from the black, white, and gray colour scheme.”

Similar to the blonde’s old apartment, her new place had light gray walls, white doors, and black cupboards. It also had two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. But her new home also had a small enclosed balcony. She could already picture herself using the extra space as an extension of her art studio, which was the larger of the two rooms.

It was already late afternoon when Naminé and Riku finally tore open the boxes her cousin had doodled on. Because simply writing ‘Books’ was too dull, Kairi had said.

“Hey, what’s this?”

The blonde looked at Riku; she wasn’t too surprised at what she saw. When Kairi left that day, Naminé couldn’t find her old sketchbook. She also didn’t need to ask her mischievous cousin where it had gone. The blonde had stared in slight annoyance at her packed boxes.

“Just an old sketchbook,” Naminé said, walking toward Riku in hopes he would hand it to her.

“Seems like someone’s a little eager to get their hands on it.” Riku glanced at Naminé’s hand that was already on the book.

“Er–yeah–just a bunch of embarrassing things in there.”

If Riku had his suspicions, he didn’t ask. Instead, he gave it to her and grabbed a handful of books to put on the shelf. But Naminé had a thought, something that was already lingering in the back of her mind when Kairi mentioned Riku was coming. If Kairi didn’t know about Sora’s secret twin brother, no one else would know but Riku. The trio grew up together, but Riku and Sora had known each other since kindergarten.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.” 

Naminé bit her bottom lip. “Does Sora have a brother?”

Riku, who had some books in his hands, looked at her with a curious and skeptical expression. “Why do you ask?”

“So, that means he does,” the blonde remarked. 

“What brought this on all of a sudden?” 

Now, she had his full attention. While Naminé wasn’t sure Sora’s brother was the boy who saved her, she had to admit she was still interested in finding out more about him. Her hopes may be dashed if he wasn’t, but she strangely felt confident in taking that risk.

“If I tell you, will you answer my question?” she asked.

“Yeah, but no promises on anything after that.”

Riku was an excellent listener. It was that characteristic that made Naminé interested in him before they dated. As the artist told her story, she wasn’t surprised that Riku wore the same passive expression. She could never tell what he was thinking. And he used to love teasing her about it. Until she picked it up herself.

“So, that’s what happened,” Naminé finished. “Will you answer my question now?”

“If it were anyone else, I would think you’re lying.” Naminé gave him a look to which Riku added, “Yes, Sora has a twin brother.”

“That’s it?” the blonde asked, exasperated. “That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

Riku chuckled. “That’s all you asked for.”

“Why doesn’t anyone know?” It was a bit of a stretch that Riku would answer this one. If anyone could keep a secret, it was him. But Naminé felt like she had to try. “Even Kairi was surprised.”

“Sorry, Nami, it’s not something I can talk about.” Naminé felt her heart sink. “But I did meet the guy in person one time. It was by chance, but it was how I found out.”

“What?” Naminé spluttered. “When? H-how?”

Riku leaned back against the chair. It took a moment for Naminé to notice how close she got to him. She cleared her throat and leaned back, blushing slightly out of embarrassment. 

“I was at Sora’s house one day, and he came in. You would think they would have similar personalities, but he was completely different from Sora.”

The artist grabbed her sketchbook immediately. “Did he look like this?” 

Riku leaned towards the drawing she showed him. “Yeah, that’s him.” Naminé was speechless. She had so many thoughts, but the words got stuck in her throat. “Hey, you okay? You look super pale.” Riku glanced at the sketch again. “Maybe the guy does have a heart after all if he saved you.”

Naminé collapsed onto her couch. “I wouldn’t know. I remember he was awfully cold.” Riku raised a brow. “Figuratively,” she added.

“Well, I can vouch for that.” The silver-haired male picked up her sketchbook and casually flipped through it. 

“Do you… do you know where he is now?”

Riku stopped and looked her in the eyes. “You still like this guy?”

The artist knew her friend’s question was out of genuine curiosity. Yet, she felt defensive. Sora’s secret twin brother turned out to be her infatuation nine years ago. It was a puppy-love crush that had spiralled out of control. She was over it. Now that she was a proper adult. Right?

“I don’t know where he is now,” Riku answered. “I never saw him since. And that was years ago.”

“Yeah, well, all the more reason to throw out that sketchbook,” the blonde muttered.

Riku smiled. “But you really captured his edginess. These are amazing, Naminé.”

“Please just toss that out.”

The silver-haired male closed her book and placed it on the table. “There’s one more thing I do know.”

Naminé sat up. “What’s that?”

“The guy’s name is Roxas.”

The blonde narrowed her eyes. “I’ll take your word on that since there’s no reason for you to be lying to me anyways.”

Riku chuckled. “If you’re so curious about him, try asking Sora.”

Naminé sighed. “I don’t know if I want to. But… the more I know, the more I want to know. And, what makes you think Sora will tell me if Kairi doesn’t even know anything about Roxas.” It felt strange to finally put a name to a face, and the blonde couldn’t begin to describe her conflicting emotions raging inside her.

“You have a good reason,” Riku eyed her sketchbook. “But, yeah, there’s a chance Sora might skirt the topic completely. I guess I can tell you this: they aren’t on good terms.”

“I figured if he’s been keeping this under wraps,” Naminé mumbled. “Besides, Kairi mentioned he doesn’t seem to know much about him.”

“Well, she is sort of right. They haven’t seen a lot of each other.”

The blonde raised a brow. “Y’know, you’re getting more talkative about this now. You sure you won’t accidentally spill something I shouldn’t know about?”

Riku chuckled. “Listen, detective, the only thing I won’t be spilling is details about their relationship. It’s not my place to talk about that.”

“Fair enough.”

They heard a phone buzz.

“That’s probably Kairi,” Naminé said, getting off the couch. “Sora should be coming with her too.”

Riku already had his and her phone in his hands. He tossed Naminé her cellphone. “Spot on, Sherlock.”

When Naminé opened the door, Kairi and Sora had each held up a plastic bag of Naminé’s favourite snacks. “We brought the essentials!” In the brunette’s other hand was a white bag Naminé didn’t recognize.

Sora gave Naminé the white bag. “It’s your housewarming gift,” he smiled, “from all of us.” He looked at Kairi and Riku and back at Naminé. “It’s a collage of scenic photos from Radiant Gardens. We all took some of them.”

The blonde took it and peeked inside. “Wow, you guys really shouldn’t have!”

“We thought it would brighten your place up a bit. Considering, you know, your place rarely consists of any actual colour.”

“Very funny, Kairi,” the artist said sarcastically.

“She has a point.”

“Aren’t you usually on my side?” Naminé asked her silver-haired friend.

Riku shrugged. “Just sayin’,”

“Looks like you guys already made some good progress,” Sora remarked. 

“Yeah, despite how he looks, Riku helped a lot,” the blonde joked. She didn’t have to look to know Riku rolled his eyes at her. “How’d your practice go?”

“We’re going to _kill_ it,” Kairi smiled confidently.

“Won’t you be competing against each other for the best thesis or something like that?” Riku asked.

“Friendly competition,” Sora said, looking at his girlfriend. “Right, Kairi?”

The redhead smiled mischievously. “Don’t be too down when I get it.”

Naminé and Riku glanced at each other, a small smile on their faces at their friends’ healthy rivalry. Kairi had once mentioned that her and Sora’s relationship was a classic cliché. They met in junior high when a young Kairi transferred into Sora’s class that was stereotyped as being “a class full of nerds.” 

During high school, both were on the student council and had competed multiple times for president. One year Kairi got it. The next, it was Sora. Naminé always loved hearing Kairi talk about an “annoying, plain, teacher’s pet that’s out to steal my thunder” on the phone. But Sora had stood up for the redhead when she was bullied and outcasted for being wrongly accused of stealing her then best friend’s boyfriend. 

“The last time you said that, wasn’t it me that won the speech competition during undergrad?”

“Beginner’s luck,” Kairi fired back.

“Save your flirting for later, would you?” Riku said jokingly.

Sora poked his head through the open door leading towards the enclosed balcony. “This place is nice, Naminé!”

The redhead noticed the familiar sketchbook on the table. She picked it up. “I guess Riku already knows about the whole thing.”

“We were just talking about it, actually. Before you and Sora got here,” Naminé admitted quietly.

“A conversation I never would’ve expected,” Riku added.

“You probably know more than I do,” the redhead said, looking at her silver-haired friend.

“Well, you didn’t start asking a whole lot of questions,” Riku chuckled.

“What are you guys whispering about?” Sora had come back to the living after his quick tour. The blonde noticed that the brunette was looking at the sketchbook in Kairi’s hands. “What’s that?”

It was now or never. 

Naminé asked Sora to sit to which the brunette sat beside her. Like Riku, Sora never interrupted her. Though his expression was uncharacteristically serious, and Naminé could see a hint of sadness and anger mixed in. When the artist finished her story, she showed her friend the drawing in her sketchbook.

“You obviously don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to,” Naminé reassured.

Sora was still staring at the sketch. “Don’t worry about it. I feel more comfortable talking about him now than when I was younger.” The brunette closed the sketchbook and placed it back on the table.

“Why did you never tell us?” Kairi asked, her tone laced with worry and cautiousness. She sat on the brunette’s other side while Riku sat in the black recliner.

“Roxas was… sort of different,” Sora began. “You guys know that our parents divorced when I was really young?”

Everyone nodded.

“Well, after that, our mom got custody of Roxas. I lived with our dad. Since it didn’t end on good terms, mom moved to the other side of the city. Roxas and I occasionally saw each other, but rumours were going around that he was part of some weird gang. I asked him about it, but he said that it was just his friends.

“Roxas was smarter than most kids, so I just dropped it. But when mom passed away, he changed completely. I kept having this nagging feeling that he knew something about it,” Sora sighed. “But then again, I didn’t ask. I guess I was too scared. Anyway, we eventually stopped talking. I saw dad getting rid of some photos one time, and I noticed that all of them had our mom and Roxas in them. I don’t know what happened, but at the time, I didn’t want to know. On a rare occasion, Roxas came to see me one time. He told me he was going abroad for university.”

“Was that when…?”

Sora nodded at Riku. “Yeah, that was when you came over. I didn’t know if he was telling me the truth, but I didn’t question him.”

“You haven’t heard anything from him since then, huh?” Kairi asked.

The brunette went silent for a few moments.

“I did, actually,” he finally said.

“It doesn’t sound like a good sign,” the blonde said quietly.

“I got a call from the hospital not too long ago.” Everyone could hear the evident worry and anxiousness in Sora’s voice. “Turns out, they’ve been trying to get in contact with me for a while.” 

Kairi placed her hand on top of his. “Sora, what happened?”

The brunette took a breath. “Roxas got into an accident, and he hasn’t woken up for weeks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. :) Let me know your thoughts below. Is it going too fast? Too slow? What other characters would you like to see?


	3. Artful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Naminé's first day at Artful, she takes a stand and visits Roxas at the hospital.

"I can't believe you're Kairi's cousin!" Selphie, the human resources leader who also interviewed Naminé, said excitedly as she guided the artist toward her new office space. 

It was the artist's first day at Artful, and she already loved the energy and inner creativity of the company office. While the halls had a modern design with black and white walls, the meeting rooms were adorned with abstract paintings and colourful murals. Though, she noticed that some meeting rooms had glass walls instead.

"I can't believe you guys went to school together. What a small world," Naminé smiled. The artist also couldn't complain about the vast lobby and snack space: hanging black lights over the white marble counters with tall black chairs tucked in neatly in front. Light gray couches and beanbag chairs face a dark brown coffee table or the breathtaking view of the city view from the twentieth floor.

"Tell her I say hi," Selphie winked before stopping in front of a small office. The black nameplate had the name of Naminé's supervisor engraved in white. "Aqua will get you settled in." 

The brunette knocked politely on the door. The blonde heard a firm "come in" soon after. Selphie swiftly opened the door to reveal a serious-looking woman staring intently at her laptop screen on her desk.

"Hi, Naminé, it's good to see you." Aqua stood from her chair.

"Likewise," the blonde smiled.

"Let me know if you need anything, Naminé."

"Thanks, Selphie," the artist said as she watched Selphie close the door behind her.

"I'll take you to meet the team," Aqua said, walking toward the blonde. "After lunch, I'll get you to look at your first assignment. Don't worry, it's nothing too intense."

Naminé wasn't surprised at how friendly everyone was. The artist caught glimpses of their projects on their monitors, which motivated her to get started. Her seat was by the window, so she had a beautiful view of the city skyline. Aqua had informed her that the cleaning team had sanitized her table. Still, Naminé was obviously free to do some reorganizing and cleaning of her own.

"I'll let you get settled in," Aqua said.

"Could you send that assignment to me?" Naminé asked.

Aqua chuckled. "It's not urgent, Naminé, but if you're that curious, I'll send you the details before lunch."

Naminé smiled and nodded in thanks.

It didn't take long for the artist to set up her computer thanks to Aqua's printed and detailed instructions. Once Naminé logged in to her work email, she saw two welcome packages from her company and the other from her supervisor. But the blonde didn't click on either of them. Instead, she went straight to her assignment Aqua had sent her just a few minutes before. 

A new privately-owned salon was opening its doors to the public, and they need a professional logo. The blonde scanned through the rest of the email, which provided more details about the client's request and contact details. 

When she finished reading, Naminé stared absentmindedly at the screen.

_"You know, Naminé, if you want to, you could visit him."_

Sora's words had haunted her for days. Her? Visit Roxas? A stranger? A stranger who saved her life, but a stranger nonetheless. Naminé sighed. She got what she wanted, but the blonde began to think she opened a can of worms.

"Hey, Naminé, right?"

The artist looked up at the male voice. The man was tall with dark brown hair styled into messy and vertical spikes and bangs that framed his face. He had the same dark blue eyes as Naminé. Beside him was a younger-looking man with an uncanny resemblance to Roxas. It took everything for Naminé to remain passive. Maybe the dark blonde spikey hairstyle was a trend nowadays.

"Yeah, hi," the artist finally replied. 

"I'm Terra," the brunette said. 

"I'm Ventus," the male blonde smiled brightly. "But everyone calls me Ven."

"Aqua told us to introduce ourselves to you," Terra remarked. "The three of us will be collaborating together on this project."

Ventus nodded towards the email on Naminé's screen. "Terra's in charge of their mobile and web design. I'm doing their marketing material."

"It's nice to meet you both."

"We're actually meeting with the client at three. I know you're still settling in, but if you'd like to join–"

"Yes," Naminé interrupted the male blonde. "Would love to go with you guys."

Terra nodded. "Cool, we'll head over together."

"See you then," Ventus added.

As the artist turned back to her screen, she smiled. It was time to get her feet wet.

When lunch came around, Aqua took Naminé to an Italian restaurant nearby. 

"Order whatever you want," the blue-haired female insisted. "It's on the house."

Naminé was a little surprised to learn that Aqua was from the countryside. The older female had a strong but modestly firm personality that Naminé thought could only be from the city. Aqua had left her small town for the city for university and had worked in other countries before coming back to Radiant Gardens. Naminé had a feeling she would learn a lot from her.

Ventus let Naminé ride shotgun on their trip to their client's office. While the ride was mostly smooth sailing, the artist couldn't help but think that Ventus's invitation was due to Terra's tendency to speed in less crowded areas. 

When they arrived, Naminé noticed how close their client's office was to the hospital Roxas was staying at. She could see its giant name from where she stood. Pushing him out of her thoughts, the blonde followed her colleagues inside to see Terra firmly shaking a woman's hand. Naminé and Ventus both introduced themselves, and the woman led them to the couches beside the door.

The artist mostly observed Terra and Ventus's conversations with the client as she jotted down details, and anything she thought would be valuable. She occasionally popped in with her own questions. Before their meeting ended, Naminé asked to take photos, understanding that the big picture was always important.

Once they stepped out, the artist glanced at the hospital; its sign now lit up against the dark orange horizon.

"You guys go on ahead," she said, turning to face her colleagues who were just about to get into the company car.

"What about you? How are you going to get home?" Ventus asked.

"I live pretty close, actually," Naminé replied. It wasn't a complete lie; her apartment was only forty-five minutes away by train.

Terra approached her silently. Naminé would be lying if she said she didn't feel intimated. The man towered over her and had a strong presence. Oddly enough, he reminded her of Aqua.

The brunette suddenly handed his phone to her; the new contact screen showed brightly. "I'll make a group chat for the three of us to keep tabs on our progress for the project," he said. 

"Oh, er, right, okay," Naminé said, slightly flustered. She took Terra's phone and tapped in her details, and gave the device back to him.

"See you tomorrow, Naminé!" Ventus waved.

The artist watched the car sped off down the street with a small smile.

Naminé welcomed the cold draft when she entered the hospital lobby. Despite having many doubts on her way, she ultimately decided it would be best for her sanity if she came at least once. Or else it would haunt her like no tomorrow, something that she was already experiencing. And she wasn't keen on continuing the experience. 

The blonde approached the counter. "Hi," Naminé said to an older looking woman. 'Paige' was the name on her nameplate. "My name is Naminé Song. I'm here to see Roxas Jung-Leonhart."

Paige smiled sympathetically. "Oh, it's so nice to see that Roxas is getting more visitors! You're the third person to come see him!"

Third?

_"Did you visit him?" Naminé had asked._

_"Just last week," Sora had replied, then quietly, "Not even my dad wanted to come and see him."_

After giving Naminé Roxas's room number, the woman asked, "What's your relationship with him?"

"Er, family friend," the blonde said. 

Paige smiled. "Well, you'll be glad to know that he's awake."

"What?" Naminé asked, startled.

"Yeah, he seems fine, but–"

Naminé thanked her and began walking swiftly towards his room. Just as she reached Roxas's room, the door slid open. Naminé stopped and watched as a tall blonde wearing a long hospital gown walk out of the room. She had no idea what to say. Instead, she stared at his pale face. Despite his sharper jawline, she noticed that his physical appearance had barely changed. 

Roxas turned to her; his gaze had a genuine curiosity. "Do I know you?"


	4. Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naminé starts feeling the pressure of taking on multiple projects at once. Meanwhile, Sora takes Roxas home.

"So, he remembers nothing?"

"The doctor said that it's likely due to the strong impact on his head that he lost his memory. He didn't even remember who he was when he first woke up. But, his memory may gradually improve over time."

It was Naminé's lunch hour, and she couldn't help but call her cousin to check up on the blonde boy who had seemed so foreign to her. Roxas had an air of innocence to him that was far from what Naminé remembered. 

"Did he remember Sora?"

"No," Kairi sighed.

"Is Sora okay?" the blonde asked worriedly.

"He's obviously shocked. They had a long talk this morning. Anyways, they're going back to Roxas's place today. Sora's going to stay with him until his memory returns."

Naminé saw Ventus and Terra walking towards the lounge; both men had what Naminé assumed was an empty coffee mug. They were chatting with each other; their serious expressions had Naminé deduce it was work-related. 

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll talk to you once I get off work."

"If I get any updates on Roxas, I'll be sure to let you know." The artist caught the teasing tone laced in Kairi's voice but decided to let it go. As soon as Naminé hung up, Ventus and Terra strolled in.

"Oh, hey, Naminé," Ventus smiled. "How was lunch?"

"Not bad. How was yours?"

"Could be better if it weren't for that email this morning," Ventus sighed. 

Naminé remembered the email she and her colleagues received from Aqua an hour before lunch. Their supervisor had mentioned that the client had also met with  _ Pixxelated _ , a rival company. While the client had ultimately decided to work with them, there was an unspoken pressure between the three of them.

"Yeah, I know how you feel," Naminé mumbled.

After a sip of his coffee, Terra said, "Aqua may be expecting a presentation."

"I wouldn't be surprised," the female blonde replied. "Does this happen often?"

"You mean a client meeting with two companies at once?" Ventus asked. "Sort of. But we always had a rivalry going on with Pixxelated." Naminé caught the bitterness in Ventus's tone, a hint that felt personal. But she didn't dare to ask. 

"Come on, our meeting with Aqua is in five minutes," Terra said from the door and exited to which Naminé and Ventus followed suit.

* * *

When Sora placed a hand on his shoulder, Roxas nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Sorry," the older twin said with a small smile, "I didn't mean to scare you." Roxas was wearing a dirty black t-shirt and pants (which Sora assumed was his brother's attire on the day of the accident). "Ready to go?"

"Y-yeah, thanks."

As the brothers walked out of the hospital, Sora noticed that his brother kept rubbing his thumb against the side of his index finger. Old habits die hard. "I'm glad you're okay," the brunette said at last. "You scared me half to death when I found out you were in the hospital."

Just before getting into Sora's car, Roxas replied, "I guess you aren't the only one." The small, boyish grin on his face felt foreign to Sora. When Roxas caught his brother's stare, he continued, "What is it?"

"You're just… a bit different."

"Different how?" 

Sora took a moment to consider his words; the brunette saw this as an opportunity. The current Roxas was a clean slate. Yet, Sora could still learn a thing or two about the old Roxas. Even if his brother's memory didn't return, they could rebuild their relationship. It was a win-win situation. And Sora wasn't going to jeopardize it by bringing up a haunted past. 

"You were… a quiet guy," Sora chuckled. That wasn't a complete lie. "Quiet but straightforward."

Roxas smiled. As the car weaved through the crowded streets of Radiant Gardens, Sora occasionally glanced at his brother to see if there was any indication that he remembered something. 

As the vehicle came to a gradual stop at a red light, the brunette asked, "Nothing comes to mind about this place?" 

"No, not really," Roxas admitted sheepishly. "It looks like a fun place to live in, though."

"You used to hate it here," Sora chuckled.

The blonde looked at his brother, incredulously. "Why?"

"You got tired of things easily.”

"Why did I move back then?"

Once again, Sora considered his words carefully. "I guess you missed it." Truthfully, he didn't know.

The brunette pulled into a residential area and up to a black and white apartment building only 4 stories tall. Each unit had two long, glass windows and a spacious balcony. The brunette had to stop himself from asking what his brother did for a living. He would probably find out soon enough.

"Here we are," Sora said, glancing at the address scrawled on the yellow sticky note.

Roxas turned to his brother. "Are you sure?"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Er–I'm not sure myself."

"Do you have a key?"

Roxas dug into his pockets and pulled out a small remote.

* * *

For the umpteenth time, Naminé was back to staring at a blank digital screen. 

During their meeting, Ventus had voiced his desire and passion for being the director of this project. After a moment of deliberation, Aqua had permitted it. That meant all of the creatives, the project timeline, and the budget would have to be approved by Ventus. Naminé learned that Terra was a director for more significant projects in the past. She deduced this was probably why Aqua had allowed Ventus to take on the responsibility.

The artist began browsing the web, hoping to gain some inspiration. Her gaze jumped between her monitor and her notebook. She mentally went over all the details the client had mentioned at their meeting.

Suddenly, she saw a message notification from Ventus and Aqua.

**Ven:** Hey, do you think you can get a draft of the logo in two days?

When Naminé opened Aqua's chat, she noticed that it was part of a group. Naminé leaned back in her chair and sighed. After the meeting, Aqua had asked the artist to stay behind. The blue-haired female had informed her that one of their designers for another project had to take sudden, personal leave and won't be back for a few weeks.

"Could you fill in for her?" Aqua had asked. "I saw that you worked on some designs for these kinds of industries in the past."

"Yeah, of course," Naminé had replied. It wasn't like she could've said no. But she started to feel the pressure, especially when she had no ideas for her current project with Ventus and Terra.

"Great, thanks, Naminé. I'll add you to their group chat later on."

The artist opened the link her teammates had sent her. As she browsed through the files, she went back to Ventus's chat.

**Naminé:** Yeah, definitely.

* * *

Sora was surprised that his brother's apartment was so organized. The brunette had remembered Roxas's bad habit of not putting things back to their original places. Maybe he got rid of it. There was barely any furniture, except for the essentials. A small, brown couch leaned against the beige living room wall. In front was a glass coffee table shaped like a teardrop. There was no TV. Instead, there was a black shelf that held books and other small knick-knacks. The brunette noticed that there were no personal photos of any kind.

Sora saw Roxas disappear into a room to which the brunette followed. 

"What… is this?" the older twin gaped. "I never knew you were into photography!"

Roxas scratched his head. "Neither did I," he mumbled.

Sora's gaze swept the area that had been set up to look like a cozy home studio. The brunette picked up a few magazines scattered on a small, white table in the corner of the room. He had so many questions that he knew he wouldn't get answers to. At least, not for a while.

"By the way," Sora began before looking toward his brother. The latter was browsing through a series of photos on a camera. When Sora noticed Roxas's serious countenance, the brunette hurried over. "What's wrong?"

Roxas didn't reply but kept staring at the photo in the camera. The older twin looked at the picture and saw that it was a young woman, probably around their age or slightly younger. She had short black hair and bright blue eyes. Wearing natural makeup, she was looking at the camera with her lips slightly parted. 

"Do you know her?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, probably."

The blunt and cold response was reminiscent of the old Roxas, the brother Sora had always known. When Roxas turned off the camera and placed it back on the desk, the brunette placed a firm hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Wanna grab a bite to eat? I know some people who would love to meet you."

The childlike innocence in the blonde's eyes was back. "Yeah, sounds good."


	5. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naminé has dinner with Roxas, Sora, and Kairi. And by the end, she gets a date with Roxas for the weekend. Sora finds something shocking in his brother's drawer.

“What? Dinner with Roxas?”

With her bag slung on her right shoulder and coat dangling off her left arm, as soon as Naminé pressed the button for the elevator, she got a call from her cousin. “He actually lives close to your workplace,” Kairi said. “So, you in?”

"Y-yeah, sure."

Naminé could hear her cousin smiling. “Great, I’ll text you the address. See you there!”

“Plans for the evening, Naminé?” As the artist dropped her phone back in her bag, she nearly jumped at Ventus’s voice behind her. The male blonde now stood beside her, looking at her expectantly.

“Yeah, I’m having dinner with a few friends.” The elevator opened, and the two colleagues walked inside. As Ventus pressed for the lobby, the doors shut. “What about you? Any plans?”

“Going to my younger sister’s concert.”

“You have a sister?” Naminé smiled.

“Stepsister,” Ventus corrected. “She’s in elementary school.”

"That sounds fun. What's she performing?"

"You know those choir performances everyone was forced into in elementary?"

Naminé laughed. “Oh, those. Hated them.”

"You and me both," Ventus smiled.

As the elevator doors opened, Ventus and Naminé were the last ones to leave. The crowd began to disperse, but Ventus and Naminé continued talking and walking in the same direction–toward the large revolving glass door that was the main entrance to the building.

A chilly breeze took Naminé by surprise. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Ventus waved and hurried toward the train station nearby.

Naminé glanced at her phone in her hand and saw a text from Kairi. The blonde recognized the restaurant; it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. She didn't bother slipping on her coat as she hurried toward her destination.

By the time Naminé arrived, Kairi, Sora, and Roxas were already sitting at a table. They were chatting about something, and they seemed to be having a good time. When the redhead saw her cousin at the entrance, she waved her over.

Naminé wasn't sure whether it was the sudden change in temperature or because Roxas was staring at her, which made her cheeks flush.

As soon as the artist sat down beside Kairi and the opposite of Roxas, he smiled. “I remember you. You’re the girl from the hospital.”

“Do I know you?”

It came as a shock. But Naminé admitted she had no idea what she was expecting. Even if Roxas hadn't lost his memory, would he still have remembered her? She would probably never know.

“I didn’t properly introduce myself back then,” Naminé said sheepishly. “I’m Naminé.”

Roxas chuckled. "You walked out of there so fast that I didn't get a chance to ask. Did we know each other?"

Naminé saw Kairi and Sora exchange a look. “Well, we’re going to get food. But you guys keep talking, okay?” the redhead smiled.

Before the blonde could reply, the couple had already dashed off. Naminé frowned. She glanced back to Roxas, who looked more confused than anything else.

"We–uh–met a long time ago."

“So, we’re old friends?”

"That's… one way to put it." When Roxas didn't ask any more questions, Naminé decided to ask one of her own, knowing to carefully choose her words. "How are you holding up?"

“Okay, I guess,” Roxas replied with a small smile. “I haven’t found out much.” He looked at her with a curious glint in his eyes. “Is there anything you can tell me?”

That you were cold, blunt, and slightly offensive, Naminé thought. But instead, she answered, "You didn't express yourself very much."

“I guess I talked a lot less, huh?”

Naminé smiled. "Yeah...yeah, you did."

“But it doesn’t look like it bothers you,” Roxas grinned.

The artist laughed. "I think I like it better."

Roxas glanced at the food table and saw Sora and Kairi just reaching the end of the line. He turned back to Naminé. "You wanna go get something to eat now?"

“Yeah, definitely.”

As they passed Sora and Kairi, the redhead nudged her cousin with her elbow to stop her. “So, what did you guys talk about?”

“Stuff,” Naminé said casually, fighting back a smile.

Kairi smirked. “It seems like you’re having a good time.”

“Just a little.”

Roxas grabbed a tray and handed it to Naminé, who caught up with him. "What do you like to eat?" he asked.

“I don’t really have a preference.”

“Really?” Roxas asked as he picked up tongs for the fresh spaghetti that arrived not too long ago.

"Pickier when it comes to desserts," Naminé placed a large slice of mushroom pizza on her plate.

“Somehow I’m not surprised to hear that.”

“Really?”

"But, I think I'll judge when I see which desserts you pick."

Naminé rolled her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, Roxas had caught her dramatic eye roll and fought back a smile.

When they returned to the table, the artist overheard Sora and Kairi talking about their thesis. Naminé wasn't surprised. As the school year was coming to an end, all Kairi and Sora could think and talk about was their thesis.

"Well, don't mind if I do," the redhead smirked. To Naminé's dismay, Kairi swiftly stole a fry off of her plate.

“What were you guys talking about over there?” Sora asked, looking expectantly at Naminé.

“Your brother here was saying how he would judge me based on my dessert preferences.”

As Kairi and Sora turned to Roxas, the male blonde felt his cheeks go warm. Naminé took a sip of her drink, enjoying the flustered look on the other blonde's face. "In my defence," he began, holding both hands innocently, "I told her that she has good taste." Roxas nodded towards Naminé's slice of cheesecake and another slice of tiramisu.

Kairi laughed. "Anyways, I hear you do photography, Roxas." Naminé curiously glanced at him. She never would have guessed Roxas was into photography. "I could model for you if you ever need it." Sora and Naminé gave the redhead a dubious look. "What? I came to terms that my dreams of becoming a Vogue model may never happen. I gotta look for opportunities elsewhere."

“What do you think, Sora?” Roxas asked with an amused smile.

"Well, Kairi's surprised me plenty of times before," the brunette replied. "She could be good at it."

The redhead nudged her cousin. "What about a family photoshoot?" Kairi paid no mind to Naminé's disapproving look. "I think you could pull it off."

“If anything, I’m sure it’ll be fun,” Sora encouraged. “It–uh-also might help Roxas remember something.”

The male blonde smiled sadly. “Yeah, maybe.”

Kairi stabbed her fork into a small piece of steak. “Still nothing, huh?” she asked.

Roxas was silent for a moment.

“There was something,” he finally said.

Everyone stared at him.

It was Sora who broke the silence. “When?”

“The photo of the woman,” Roxas replied, looking at Sora. Kairi and Naminé exchanged a look. “I feel like I know her, but… I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Yeah, from the look on your face at the time, it seemed like you did.”

Naminé admitted she felt envious of this mysterious woman. But then again, Naminé understood that she had no idea what this woman’s relationship to Roxas was. Still, it irked her that the boy she once pined for had no idea who she was, even though it had been nearly ten years.

“Maybe she was the one who visited you at the hospital,” the female blonde said quietly.

This time, all eyes were on her.

“What do you mean, Naminé?” the brunette asked.

"We weren't the only ones who went to visit," Naminé replied, looking at Sora. "I didn't get a name, though."

"Maybe the better question is…" Kairi began as she eyed Roxas curiously. "Are you interested in finding out who she is?"

“I… I don’t know,” Roxas said quietly, deliberating avoiding Kairi’s eyes.

Sora swallowed a piece of cake. "I'm sure there'll be more chances. One step at a time."

“Yeah,” Kairi agreed. She pointed her fork that had lettuce stuck to the end of it at Roxas. “Besides, we’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Naminé turned to her cousin with an amused look. "Okay, that was corny, even for you."

Kairi lightly smacked the blonde’s arm. “I’m trying to be encouraging!”

Roxas laughed. “Thanks. I really do appreciate your concern.”

"Y'know, Naminé has an interest in the arts too," Sora smirked.

The male blonde smiled at her with an intrigued glint in his eyes. Naminé felt her cheeks go red. “Really? What are you into?”

“Uh–I do graphics. For an internet company."

“Wow, that was very well said.” No one could’ve missed the heavy sarcasm in Kairi’s voice.

“But it’s true,” Naminé insisted, shooting her cousin a quick glare.

"She works at a company called Artful," Kairi continued, ignoring her cousin. "It's one of the best internet companies in the country."

Sora chuckled. “Yeah, she works on campaigns, designs logos, and stuff like that.”

“You should really see some of her previous work,” Kairi hinted, raising her eyebrows suggestively. The redhead felt Naminé’s light kick from underneath the table.

“Can I?” Roxas asked.

“You wouldn’t be interested in it,” Naminé answered. Kairi rolled her eyes. “It’s just a bunch of random doodles.” To her surprise, the male blonde’s smile fell, so she quickly added, “But–er–yeah, if I get a chance, I’ll show it to you.”

Roxas’ smile returned. “Cool, I’m looking forward to it.”

Naminé felt the same nervousness she felt earlier creep up on her. Ever since they began talking, Naminé had a thought, a thought that she kept trying to suppress. Since she decided to join them, it kept coming back to haunt her. And Naminé couldn't deny it any longer. Despite all these years, her feelings were emerging faster than she could think of plausible excuses.

“By the way,” Kairi began, “What’s your number, Roxas?”

“I don’t have one,” the male blonde said quietly. “My phone’s dead.”

“It got lost in the crash,” Sora clarified.

“I can go with you to get a new one.”

Kairi turned to her cousin, a proud look on her face. “Look who’s taking the initiative now.”

Naminé rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing like that. It’s the weekend, and well, I wanna go out.”

Sora had to bite his lip to suppress a smile. “How about it, Roxas? Kairi and I will be at the university tomorrow, so… Naminé can keep you company.”

“Yeah, I would like that,” Roxas agreed.

Naminé felt her heart race. “I’ll swing by your place around 12.”

“I’ll text you the address,” the brunette chimed in.

It was nearly eight by the time the group left the restaurant. While Sora and Roxas said they would take Naminé and Kairi home, the girls insisted that they would be fine. It was only a train-ride home. And in a populous city like Radiant Gardens, the trains would be just as crowded as the morning rush.

Kairi and Naminé managed to squeeze themselves a spot somewhere in the middle of the train compartment. As the train slowly picked up speed, they grabbed a single handrail.

“So, what do you think of Roxas?”

“He’s so different from what I remember,” Naminé admitted. “It feels like I never met him.”

Kairi nodded. “Sora told me that was the first thing he noticed. At first, he thought Roxas was faking it, but now it doesn’t seem likely.”

Naminé raised a brow. “Why would he fake it?”

“To avoid talking about the accident, maybe,” Kairi guessed.

“Did Sora find out anything about Roxas’s accident?”

The redhead shook her head. “I think he’s going to ask their dad about it. It would be strange if the police didn’t contact them when Roxas got into the accident.”

“That’s true. I won’t ask Roxas about it either. Pretty sure he has a lot on his plate right now.”

Kairi smirked. “Look at you being so considerate.”

“I don’t see you firing questions at him either,” Naminé said defensively.

Kairi wrapped an arm around her cousin. “I guess we’re both just such nice people then,” she said playfully.

Naminé rolled her eyes.

* * *

Sora could hear the shower water running from Roxas's bathroom. The twins had just finished setting up Sora's mattress with the balcony to its right and Roxas's twin-sized bed to its left. For the first time, Sora took a good look around his brother's room; it was clean, organized, and minimalistic. Like the rest of the apartment, there were no personal photos. There was only a couple of black and white landscape photos of places Sora didn't recognize hung on the wall opposite of their beds. Maybe they were from Roxas's time abroad?

A small, wooden desk was facing the balcony and was only a few steps away from Sora's mattress. The brunette took a quick glance at the closed bathroom door, then walked over to the table. A laptop was placed near the center, and there were a few photography books set upright and tucked between two black bookends beside it. Sora wondered if Roxas was a professional photographer or if this was just a hobby.

Sora opened a drawer; there were a few pens, pencils, and stationery. Then, he pulled open the other, and his eyes widened. He picked up a bottle of pills; there were only three or four. But that wasn't what got his attention. The brunette stared at the many more that littered the inside of the drawer. Some were empty, some were full, and some had one or two. What medication was Roxas on? And why did he need so many?

“Hey, Sora.”

The brunette almost jumped at Roxas’s loud voice. He threw the bottle back inside the drawer and shut it. “Yeah?” he turned around.

Dressed in a loose-fitting t-shirt and boxers, the blonde's head was tilted downwards as he ruffled his wet hair with a towel. Judging from his position, Sora didn't think his brother saw him. The older twin casually walked toward the clothes he had laid on his bed.

“Oh, you’re here. I thought you’d be in the living room or something.” Roxas walked a few steps toward him with the towel draped around his shoulders. “You didn’t shower yet?”

“Not yet.” Sora knew there was a smaller bathroom near Roxas’ second room-turned studio. “Going now.”

The younger twin watched his brother walk out of the master bedroom and toward the smaller bathroom. Roxas raised an eyebrow as he heard the door shut. He glanced at the larger bathroom, back at the closed door, and shrugged.

As Sora stepped into the shower, he welcomed the warmth. But he knew that a hot shower wouldn’t be enough to take his mind off of what he just saw.


	6. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naminé and Roxas go on date and get interrupted unexpectedly. Sora calls his father and finds out more about Roxas's accident.

"How do I look?"

Sora saw his brother dressed in a dark blue, short-sleeve polo and black pants; the buttons were buttoned all the way to the top. Roxas embarrassingly rubbed the back of his head, a faint blush bloomed on his cheeks. The older twin noticed that his younger brother had also ruffled his hair.

"Not bad," Sora said, amused and surprised at the same time. As Roxas approached him, the brunette caught a whiff of his cologne. "But, loosen up a bit," Sora undid two collar buttons and patted Roxas once. "Nervous?"

"Sort of," Roxas admitted.

"Whys that?"

"Er–well–I don't know… it just feels new to me."

Sora laughed. "You mean having a crush on someone?"

Roxas's cheeks turned bright red. "I don't have a crush on her." Then, more quietly, "I think she's attractive, though."

Sora wondered if Roxas had always been nervous with girls; if his past personality was anything to go by, he didn't seem like the type. "Actually, I'm kind of curious. What do you think about Naminé? I thought you guys only met once… twice?"

"I saw her in the hallway the day I woke up," the dark blonde said quietly. "She looked so surprised when she saw me. But… well, I had no idea who she was," he sighed. 

"And before you could ask, she ran off?"

Roxas nodded. "I was surprised to see her yesterday."

"Did she say anything? About the relationship between you guys?"

"Only we were old friends… why?"

"Nothing. Was just curious," Sora said with a small smile. "So, what do you think about her now?"

"...I think she's cute," Roxas admitted sheepishly, then sighed. "I don't know. I don't know what our friendship was like in the past, so I don't want to make it awkward."

Sora's smile grew. "Why not just let things play out naturally? Don't dwell on the past."

"Yeah… maybe you're right. But…" Roxas anxiously bit his bottom lip.

The brunette chuckled. "Naminé doesn't have a boyfriend." The dark blonde was taken aback and deliberately avoided his brother's eyes. Unlike before, Sora noticed that this Roxas was also much easier to read. "Trust me, you'll be fine."

The reassuring smile on Sora's face made Roxas smile back.

Sora's mobile suddenly went off; he didn't need to look at it to know who was calling. He picked it up and smiled as he greeted Naminé on the other line. "Yeah, he's heading down now." As soon as Sora hung up, Roxas was already out the door.

Sora placed his phone back on the table and entered Roxas's bedroom. The brunette swiftly walked toward his brother's desk and opened the drawer. Most of the bottles were bare, but it didn't take long for Sora to find one with a label. The brunette took a labelled container and went back to the living room for his laptop. After browsing and reading numerous articles he found, Sora closed his laptop and leaned back with a loud sigh. His suspicions were confirmed. 

Roxas had been taking antidepressants.

The brunette pushed himself up, grabbed the bottle, and read the Pharmacy name on the label. That was his next stop. But before that, there was someone he had to talk to. 

* * *

Naminé wasn't sure whether to feel amused or bothered that the sales representative was shamelessly flirting with Roxas. The artist was casually playing with the latest phone model and watching the flustered dark blonde listen and nod unenthusiastically to the babbling sales rep from a few feet away. Naminé was just about to speak until a male voice deliberately called the rep over. She took a quick glance at the speaker and saw a tall man with crimson coloured hair.

"So, have you decided?" Naminé asked, walking over to Roxas.

"Oh, yeah, I think I'll get this one." It was the same one that the sales rep had been going on about. "What do you think?"

Naminé shrugged. "As long as it does what you want."

"You sound a little bit annoyed," Roxas smiled. "Or maybe it's just my imagination."

"I'll leave it to your imagination then," Naminé smiled back.

After Roxas flagged down a different sales representative, Naminé pulled out her phone to check the time. It was almost one; while she had lunch, she could really go for a snack. After looking up, Naminé saw Roxas staring at a crowd of people with a rare, serious countenance on his face.

"Roxas?" Naminé stared in the direction he was looking at. There wasn't anyone or anything that stood out, at least to her. A group of teenagers stood around a phone. Judging from their poses, they were busy taking selfies. A family was discussing with a sales rep about an expensive-looking desktop. Turning to Roxas, she repeated loudly, "Roxas!" 

As if snapping out of a trance, the dark blonde blinked several times and quickly turned to her. "Y-yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I… I just thought I saw someone I know."

"What? Really?" Naminé's eyes widened. She looked again, more carefully this time, and this time she saw the sales rep who had been flirting with Roxas and the redhaired customer.

Roxas rubbed his head and shook it slowly. "It's just a feeling."

"You're turning sort of pale," Naminé said, concerned. "Let's go sit down."

The dark blonde suddenly grabbed her hand and smiled at her. "I'm fine, really." But the colour of his face said otherwise.

"Let's go get some water, at least," Naminé insisted.

"What about the phone?"

The artist rolled her eyes. "I'll just ask them to hold it until we come back. I'm not going to leave you alone here."

And that was what she did. Naminé led Roxas toward a bench outside with his hand in hers. When they sat down, the artist noticed how dry Roxas's mouth was. She fished out her wallet, ran to the nearest vending machine, and returned with a cold drink.

Taking the open drink, Roxas smiled at her, "Thanks."

After noticing Roxas's condition visibly improved, Naminé went on to ask, "Who did you think you recognized?"

Roxas chuckled. "I wish I could tell you. It was a gut feeling. Sort of like deja-vu."

Naminé leaned back. "Can I ask you something?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roxas looking at her curiously. She took it as a sign to continue. "Have you ever thought of why you lost your memory?"

"That's a good question," Roxas said seriously. "I never thought about it until you asked." He bit his bottom lip and considered his words carefully. "Maybe it happened naturally. Maybe it didn't. Whatever the reason may be, I'm just thankful I have people to guide me through it." Naminé turned to him, failing to suppress a snicker. A blush bloomed on Roxas's cheeks as he took a longer sip of his drink. "It sounds corny, I know, but–well–you would feel the same way!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right," Naminé smiled. "I really would."

"I may have lost my memory, but I didn't lose my ability to sense sarcasm when I hear it," Roxas rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm serious!"

"Yeah, okay. If you're serious, then let me lose an arm next."

Naminé punched his shoulder. "Don't say things like that," she scolded.

This time, it was Roxas who failed to suppress a laugh.

* * *

"He _what?_ " 

"...According to the police, that was what happened."

"So, let me get this straight," Sora said, exasperated. "The police told you that Roxas's car was totalled, and you didn't think of visiting him once? Or… at least tell me about it?"

"If I had picked up that call, I…" Sora heard the hint of guilt in his father's voice. "I would have flown home. I didn't think it was anything important, so I just deleted it from my voicemail."

Even without his father voicing his thoughts, Sora knew that it was to make room for client calls. Still, his father did sound genuine about coming home if he had known earlier. The brunette collapsed onto his mattress. As much as he hated it, Sora knew his response would be similar to his father's if someone had asked him the same question. If only he had picked up the hospital call earlier. 

"Did you know that Roxas was depressed?" Sora asked quietly. "He was taking antidepressants."

A heavy sigh. "How would I have known if it's been years since we talked?"

Sora knew he was unreasonable. He knew that his brother and their father hadn't spoken for a very long time. And Sora hadn't the faintest idea when Roxas started taking antidepressants. It could've been recently, or it could've been years. The brunette desperately pushed the thought away that he may just be projecting his fear onto his father. "I'm sorry, dad," Sora said quietly. "You must be busy, I'll let you go."

"Sora." The brunette waited for a moment. "...Take care of Roxas."

And the line went dead.

Sora let his phone slide onto his mattress. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The brunette knew his brother had always been distant and quiet. At least, since their mother passed away. Was this when Roxas's depressed started? Thinking about it now, Sora couldn't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently if he had kept trying to reach out to his brother. Or, had he already been plagued with something else?

The vibration of Sora's phone took the brunette out of his thoughts. He picked up his phone and sat up. It was an incoming FaceTime message from Kairi.

The redhead's hair was put up into a ponytail; the white, seamless headband pushed away any stray hairs away from her face. She was wearing earphones. "You'll never guess who I bumped into at Moogle's Smoothies," the redhead said. She turned her camera toward Riku, who was quietly sipping on a large strawberry mango smoothie. "Same guy who complained to us how slow they were a week ago." Sora smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. Kairi appeared back on camera, and when she saw her boyfriend, her smile instantly faded. "Sora, what's wrong? You're crying."

Sora touched his face. It was true. Riku appeared beside Kairi to which the redhead turned her camera slightly, so both were in view. The redhead passed an earphone to him. "Oh–it's nothing," the brunette hoped he sound reassuring.

"Is it about Roxas?" Riku asked calmly.

When Sora didn't respond, Kairi added in, "Take your time."

"...I found antidepressants in Roxas's drawer yesterday night," Sora finally said. "A lot of them."

Silence.

"My dad… he didn't pick up the police's call about Roxas's accident. I didn't pick up the hospital's call."

"Hey, Sora," Kairi cut in gently.

"What if… What if Roxas was trying to–"

"Hey," Riku interrupted firmly. "You're going to drive yourself insane if you think that. And that's the last thing your brother needs right now."

"...He ran a red light," Sora said quietly. "And a truck slammed into the passenger side." 

Kairi and Riku exchanged a worried glance. "Sora, whatever happened in the past… your brother needs you right now," the redhead said. "You can start over."

"What if I had tried a little harder?" Sora heard his voice quiver. "Yeah, he kept pushing me away, but… what if I had just tried just a little harder?"

"You aren't a criminal, Sora," Riku said seriously. "Helping someone goes both ways. To say that you didn't try hard enough is completely unfair to you."

"I know it must hurt," Kairi said softly. "Even though there are many things we don't know about Roxas right now, if we can find the strength to accept and face adversity, I'm sure he will too."

Sora blinked away the tears and smiled genuinely at his friends. "Thanks, guys."

"You know what I'll never be able to accept?" Riku grumbled. "How slow their service is."

"You ordered more?" Kairi asked, raising a brow. Riku held up his phone that shown the Moogle's Smoothie's app. "A smoothie bowl? Those things are loaded with carbs."

"Does this mean you want one?"

"What do you think?"

Riku sighed and shook his head but opened the menu on the app. "This is coming out of your boyfriend's paycheque."

Sora and Kairi smiled at each other.

* * *

"Cookie dough trumps all."

Roxas stood behind her. "Is that all you're going to get?" he asked, looking at the many options from the popular dessert store.

"And with sprinkles," Naminé smiled, turning around. As she did, she noticed a tall man with crimson hair sitting at a nearby table. She recognized him as the customer from the electronics shop.

Suddenly, Naminé felt herself getting gently pushed forward. "You're spacing out," Roxas's quiet voice came near her ear. It was then she noticed Roxas's hands were on her shoulders and how close his face was to hers. She caught a whiff of his cologne, and a blush blossomed on her cheeks.

Now facing forward, Naminé took a few swift steps forward, too embarrassed to turn back.

As the artist turned back to the food court area with a cookie-dough ice-cream on a waffle cone in her hand, she noticed that the male redhead was gone.

"Oh, crap."

Naminé glanced over her shoulder and saw Roxas staring sadly at the chocolate stain on his shirt. The dark blonde had already swiped it off with his finger, but there was still a small residue.

"This was my favourite shirt, too," Roxas grumbled.

"Maybe it's a sign to get a new shirt," Naminé joked.

"You think?"

The blonde smirked. "Y'know, I think I know just the thing."

The next thing Roxas knew, he was stepping out of the changing room in an outfit that had been handpicked for him by the artist herself. In front of the mirror outside, he straightened the black blazer and white shirt. Naminé stood from the bench she was sitting on and stared at the dark blonde from head to toe.

"Not bad," the artist smirked. "You really pull off the smart casual look."

"You think so?" the dark blonde asked, sounding embarrassed.

"Wait, I think I saw something that might fit better."

As Naminé swiftly walked toward the men's section, she focused on finding that one brown blazer and a black shirt that she hadn't noticed a tall male standing in her path. Startled, she glanced up and apologized. His green eyes took her by surprise. But it was the familiar red hair that made her eyes widen. 

Naminé mumbled a quick "sorry" and hurried off, unaware of his green eyes on her. While she wasn't confident that this man was the one Roxas had recognized, she started to have her suspicions. As she flipped through the different sizes, her attention was discreetly on the redhaired male, occasionally glancing at him. Naminé became increasingly alarmed when she realized that he kept outrightly staring at her, and even more so when he began approaching her.

At first, she began to walk in the opposite direction, hoping that she would get lost in the small crowd of people scattered throughout the store. She wasn't expecting him to stop her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Hey."

Naminé glanced at the tall redhead from over her shoulder. "Yes?" she asked cautiously.

"What happened to Roxas?"


	7. Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas wants to find out more about his past.

Naminé turned around. She knew he was tall, but up close, he towered over her. Nonetheless, she asked, “Who are you?”

She wasn’t expecting him to smile. “I should be asking you that question.”

Naminé was skeptical. The redhead didn’t seem like a bad person, and she didn’t need to think twice that this was the person that Roxas recognized back at the store. But she was wary. Naminé saw the redhead look past her; she looked over her shoulder and saw Roxas.

“Do I know you?” Roxas asked the redhead.

Naminé saw the redhead’s eyes narrow slightly. “I’m Axel, a friend of yours. Ring any bells?”

Roxas shook his head. “I wish it did.”

Axel turned to Naminé, a curious look on his face. “Well, you know me. But I don’t know you,” he said.

“Naminé,” she replied. She briefly glanced at Roxas. “I’m his brother’s friend.”

Axel raised a brow and looked at Roxas. “So, you met Sora.” 

“You know him?” Roxas asked.

“I never met him.” But Roxas talked about him, Naminé thought. So, what did Roxas say about him? She wanted to ask, but she decided against it. “Anyways, I didn’t mean to interrupt your date.”

Naminé had her suspicions. While she wasn’t confident, she had a gut feeling that Axel came for something, and the redhead had gotten it. 

As Axel began to walk past Roxas, the male blonde stopped him by saying, “You said we were friends before.” The redhead looked at him over his shoulder. “So why didn’t you just come up and talk to me.”

“Yeah, we are friends,” Axel said quietly. “But who knows? Maybe you wouldn’t want to see me again.”

“Hey, wait!” But the redhead kept walking. Without turning back, he gave the two blondes behind him a wave. 

As Naminé came beside Roxas, she heard him mutter, “He seems like the annoying type.”

“I don’t know…” she began. “You two probably got along pretty well.”

Roxas turned to her. “Why would you think that?”

Naminé glanced at him. “Both of you like to keep people guessing.”

* * *

“So, you’re telling me you’re Roxas’s twin brother?”

“Yes,” Sora answered over the phone, slightly annoyed. He didn’t know what it was that irked him. Perhaps it was the pharmacist’s highly skeptical tone. Or maybe it was the second time the woman had asked him this question. Was it that hard to believe?

After a brief moment, the pharmacist apologized. “Roxas never mentioned that he had a sibling. And even if it were true, I cannot disclose any patient information.”

Sora was disappointed but not surprised. If this were the response he got from the pharmacist, it would be a miracle to get information from Roxas’s therapist without his brother’s consent. “Thanks,” the brunette said and hung up.

Sora sighed. He could always dig around Roxas’s apartment for clues, especially the photo studio. The brunette glanced at the open room and saw the camera sitting on the table and recalled his brother’s cold response to the photo of the black-haired woman. Sora’s curiosity was still there, but there was something in his brother’s reply to not open the can of worms. The brunette stood up from his mattress, walked to the open door, and closed it.

* * *

Ever since Axel left, Naminé could tell Roxas was bothered. Throughout their conversations, she caught how his smile never reached his eyes and how his expressions always looked like he was thinking about something else.

When the signal turned green, the crowd began to cross the street. Naminé was almost half-way when she noticed that Roxas wasn’t beside her. Alarmed, she turned back and saw him standing at the sidewalk. His head was slightly tilted downwards, a grave look on his face.

Naminé walked towards him. When the artist was within arms reach, Naminé stopped; she could see the gears turning in his head. “Hey,” she said. When she got no response, she lightly pinched his nose. Roxas’s eyes suddenly widened. Before he could retaliate, Naminé let go. “You’ve been acting strange ever since Axel left. What are you thinking about?”

Roxas bit his bottom lip. “What he said… what he said is bothering me.”

“What did he say?”

“Maybe you wouldn’t want to see me again,” Roxas repeated quietly, then a sigh, “Why did he make it sound like we broke up or something?” Naminé hid her chuckle behind her hand. Roxas rolled his eyes. “I’m serious!”

“I guess you’re curious about him?” Naminé asked, after composing herself.

“More about myself,” Roxas admitted. The more I hear, the more curious I get. Sora told me I was quiet and straightforward, but maybe he was sugarcoating it, and I saw a woman in one of the photos I took.” This was news to Naminé. “I moved back to the place that I hated.”

“Maybe the question is… do you want to know?” Roxas looked her in the eyes. “Do you want to know the person you were before?”

“...I don’t know,” Roxas muttered. “A part of me is scared. I don’t know why.”

“But it’s going to eat away at you,” Naminé said. “If you’re already this curious, I don’t think it’s going to go away.”

“Yeah, but what if I don’t like what I find?”

“So, you mean ignorance is bliss?”

Roxas turned a light shade of red. “You didn’t have to make it sound like I’m a bad person.”

Naminé chuckled. “It’s up to you. But I think facing reality will be better for your sanity. And I think you’ll find out eventually. It’s all a matter of time.”

Roxas sighed. To Naminé’s surprise, he leaned down and gently pressed his forehead against her shoulder. She felt her heart race, but she also heard whispers and saw the amused stares of passersby.

“It’ll only be a minute,” she heard Roxas mumble. Naminé gently patted his back. “But then again, if I was a bad person, I don’t think you would be by my side.”

Naminé blushed. She quickly composed herself and stepped away from him. “We–uh–we should get going.” 

The artist quickly spun around and was about to take a step forward until Roxas suddenly grabbed her wrist. He gently pulled her back. “The light’s red,” she heard him say quietly in her ear. 

Flustered, Naminé quickly got out of his reach. She turned around and was about to speak until she heard her name. Kairi and Riku were walking towards them. The female redhead was smiling and carrying a brown paper bag with the name ‘Moogle’s Smoothies.’ Naminé saw a small smile on Riku’s face, and somehow, she felt more embarrassed. 

“So, how goes the date?” Kairi asked teasingly.

“What are you guys doing here?” Naminé countered.

“I bumped into Kairi at Moogle’s Smoothies,” Riku replied. “And we both decided to grab Sora some food since we were nearby anyway.”

“I thought you weren’t a fan of their slow service,” Naminé said.

Kairi smirked. “I guess he thinks it’s worth the wait. Right, Riku?”

“It’s not bad,” the silver-haired male replied nonchalantly.

Naminé and Kairi laughed. Then the redhead said to Roxas, “Oh, you haven’t met Riku yet.” Kairi gestured to the young man beside her. “He’s Sora’s best friend.”

“Hi,” Roxas said with a small smile.

“Hey,” Riku greeted. “We met before. A long time ago.”

“Really?” Roxas asked.

“You suddenly sound so eager,” Kairi observed curiously. 

“We–uh–met someone interesting today,” Naminé said.

Riku raised a brow. “Who?”

Roxas explained about meeting Axel and the conversation he had with Naminé. To Naminé’s surprise, Kairi’s expression didn’t change, nor did she make any comments after Roxas finished. Instead, the redhead said, “I see. I wonder how Sora will feel about that.”

“What do you mean?” Roxas asked.

“It’s probably best if Sora explained it to you,” Riku answered. 

By the time the group arrived at Roxas’s apartment, it was nearly dinner time. Roxas unlocked the door just as Sora opened the bedroom door. Naminé saw an open laptop on the coffee table in the living room, and a pair of round glasses was beside it. She also noticed a lone pill bottle toppled over on the table.

“We brought you some food,” Kairi said and held up the paper bag, “From Moogle’s Smoothies.”

Sora smiled. “Thanks. Could use it right now.” As he took the bag from Kairi, he looked at Naminé and Roxas. “So, did you guys have a good time?”

“We met someone today,” Naminé began. “Someone that knew Roxas from before.”

“Who was he?” the brunette asked.

“Axel,” Roxas answered. “He said we were friends before. Have I ever mentioned him to you?”

The group huddled around the kitchen counter. Sora was taking out his food from the paper bag when he replied, “No, I’ve never heard of him before.”

“Because he knows you,” Naminé began, “Your name at least. And from his tone, maybe even a little about who you are.”

Roxas told his brother about the unexpected meeting, including the redhead’s statement that bothered him. “I’m just curious now,” the male blonde said quietly,” About the person I used to be.”

A deafening silence followed.

“I was too,” Sora admitted and sighed. He caught his brother’s confused look. “I didn’t want to bring this up, but we barely saw each other. And after you went abroad, we never talked.”

“Why did I come back?”

“I don’t know,” Sora said truthfully. “I didn’t even know you came back until I picked up the call from the hospital about your accident. And, well, your accident may not have been an actual accident.”

Roxas was silent for a moment. “Then… what?”

“You ran a red light,” Sora replied, “On purpose.” Roxas looked from his brother to Kairi, to Riku, and finally to Naminé, who looked just as surprised as he did. He caught her gaze, and he could see the worry in her eyes. “I just found out today.”

“How?” Naminé asked.

“I called my dad,” Sora said quietly with a soft sigh. “I was just as shocked as you.”

“...But why?” Roxas muttered. “I don’t understand.”

Sora walked to the coffee table and picked up the empty pill bottle Naminé noticed earlier. He handed it to Roxas and said, “I found a lot of these in your drawer yesterday.” 

After reading the label, Roxas unconsciously popped the bottle open. Suddenly, he saw himself performing the same action in his mind. His grip loosened, and the bottle dropped to the floor. Roxas briefly closed his eyes and saw himself dumping three white pills onto his hand. When his eyes opened, he covered his mouth and coughed several times, his vision blurring. 

All he could hear was the sound of running water.

“Roxas,” he heard a female voice say. “Roxas!”

“Here, drink this,” a male voice said. 

Roxas saw a glass of water in front of him. He reached for it, but before he could grab it, he heard a woman’s voice call his name, but it wasn’t Kairi or Naminé. When the last of his consciousness slipped away, he saw her face: the woman with short black hair and bright blue eyes.


	8. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas gets some of his old memories back. Naminé meets a competitor who looks eerily similar to Sora.

Roxas groaned when he woke up.

With a hand on his forehead, he slowly sat up. What time was it? What day was it? Roxas noticed Sora's neatly folded blanket, and the apartment was quiet. He got out of bed and saw that it was nearly noon from the digital clock sitting on his table. Roxas also saw tons of text messages on his phone. Naminé must have given everyone his number.

Most messages were from Sora, and some were from Naminé. Roxas also saw one or two from Kairi and Riku. As Roxas scrolled through the texts, he noticed that some were from two days ago. He replied to Sora first and then to Naminé, Kairi, and Riku. However, Roxas didn't mention the black-haired woman to anyone, despite remembering who she was.

Her name was Xion.

Roxas left his room and went to his photography studio. He picked up the camera and began browsing through the photos. Roxas noticed that most of the photographs were only of her. Some photos looked professionally taken; the backdrop was white, and her poses were model-like. Others were personal. She was cooking in his kitchen or reading a book on the couch. Roxas wasn't surprised.

He loved her a long time ago.

As Roxas went through the photos, he eventually saw Axel. Axel was smiling at Xion in one photo, and they both sat on a ledge. Roxas recognized the place. There was an old clock tower just on the outskirts of town, built on top of an equally old station where a tram frequently passed by in the summer. 

From the clock tower's top, one could see the busy offices within the skyscrapers and the mountains' silhouette and tall buildings in the distance. At nighttime, it was a blur of lights and colour. As Roxas remembered the lush orange and scarlet horizon near sundown, he smiled sadly. He could still taste the salty-sweet sea-salt ice-cream, an exclusive treat at the station, and saw how Xion's eyes shone when she had her first bite.

Roxas came across a photo of him, Axel, and Xion smiling brightly and holding light blue popsicles to the camera. The blonde brushed his thumb over the photo.

If only things stayed that way.

* * *

Naminé leaned back in her chair, her eyes wandering toward her dark phone screen. Naminé sighed and picked up her phone. Still nothing. She bit her bottom lip and placed her phone back on her desk.

Was Roxas okay? Did he remember something? What caused him to faint? Naminé was looking at the city skyline until she heard a ping from her computer. She glanced through the message and typed in a quick reply and headed toward a meeting room. 

On Naminé’s table, her phone screen shone from Roxas’s message. Then it went black.

Inside a meeting room sat Aqua on one side and Ventus, Terra, and Naminé on the other. Naminé caught Ventus’s curious stare, and she stared back, her curiosity mirroring his. Terra’s attention was on Aqua.

“I know you guys have other projects going on,” Aqua began, looking at each of her subordinates. “But I’m still wondering if you guys are interested in taking this on. In a month, you’ll be presenting a campaign idea to Fresh Fit for their 20th anniversary. You’ll be up against other companies, including Pixxelated.”

"Can we meet with them to discuss their direction?" Ventus asked.

“It’s a competition,” Aqua replied, “So, unfortunately not. The management team will choose the best idea out of the ones presented.”

"It's an excellent opportunity to work with them later if we do well," Terra mused. "They're growing fast."

Aqua nodded. “They told me they want this campaign to attract a global audience since they began expanding overseas.” 

“I’m down to do it,” Naminé said.

“Same,” Ventus added. “Regardless, it’s experience.”

Aqua looked at Terra, and he nodded once in agreement. "Great, then it's settled. Ventus, I'll put you in charge of this project. Let me know if you guys need any resources or help."

As the group left, Naminé hadn't noticed Terra come up beside her.

“Naminé,” he said. Naminé immediately turned to him. “I saw the logo you sent us, and I think you can send it to the client for her review.”

“Really? You don’t think I need to make changes or anything?”

“What the client thinks is more important,” Terra said. “But, for me, I see nothing wrong with it. It’s well-done.”

Naminé smiled. “Should I wait for Ventus’s feedback then?”

Terra shook his head. “Ven also thinks the same. We were talking about it briefly before Aqua called us in for the meeting.”

“Great, I’ll send it over then!”

As soon as Naminé got back to her desk, she pulled out a hair tie from her drawer and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She glanced at her phone and hesitantly picked it up. Just as she was about to open it, she saw Ventus's message pop up on her computer screen.

Naminé placed her phone down and began typing on her computer.

* * *

As the crowd dispersed onto the train, Roxas was alone.

Wearing a baseball cap, Roxas sat on a bench, his eyes on the ground. He heard the train whistle once, and he immediately buried his head between his arms.

_ “Oh, crap, I just missed the train,” Roxas could hear Xion say.  _

_ "Good thing I'm here to keep you company." _

_ Roxas saw Xion turn towards him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Yes, what would I possibly do without you?" _

Roxas slowly looked up. More people had gathered on the platform. Some were scrolling on their phones, and some were listening to music. But there were the odd few that were stealing glances at him. Roxas lowered his cap just as another train rolled into the station.

This time, Roxas followed the crowd inside. He looked at the route map and saw that he was right. The last stop of this train was the clock tower station. Roxas stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone.

No new messages.

Roxas stared at the screen for a few moments before opening his messages and then the chat between him and Naminé. He glanced at the moving city scenery and back at his phone.

Roxas noticed that the woman sitting in front of him had stood up. As he moved to get out of her way, her headphones' wire got caught on a button on Roxas's jacket. No one noticed until Roxas felt a small jolt, and the woman spun around when her music suddenly stopped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the woman said.

_ “Oh, I’m so sorry!” Roxas suddenly heard Xion say.  _

_ Roxas glanced down and saw a familiar black-haired woman that bumped into him.  _

_ Xion looked up at him. "I remember you. You're Roxas, right? Axel's friend." _

_ Roxas didn't bother to remove his headphones. Instead, he went back to staring at the moving city scenery. _

Roxas looped the wire off of his jacket. “It’s okay,” he said. He sighed softly as he watched the woman hurry off the train.

* * *

As soon as Naminé sent her last email of the day, she leaned back in her chair and glanced at her computer clock. 4:59 pm. Just in time. Naminé glanced at her phone and picked it up. She hadn't looked at it for the entire day, and it hadn't lit up from any new messages.

"Hey, Naminé," a familiar voice said behind her. Naminé spun around in her chair and saw Ventus smiling at her. "Terra and I are going to get some dinner after work. Do you want to come with us? It's the restaurant next door." Ventus's eyes went to the phone in her hand and then back at her. "Oh, do you already have plans?"

Naminé put her phone in her bag after a moment and said, "Nah, dinner sounds great, actually."

Ventus smiled. "Cool, let's go."

* * *

Roxas was one of the few people to get off at the last stop. He turned around just in time to see the lights of the clock turn-on. Roxas lowered his baseball cap and began walking toward the plaza.

There were fewer people than he imagined. As he made his way toward the clock tower, he smelled the pleasant aroma of food from different food stalls. He heard children laughing and screaming from different shops. A couple passed by him; the woman's hand wrapped around her boyfriend's arm as she chuckled about something he had said.

When Roxas came across a small ice-cream parlour, he stopped. And it wasn’t because of the pastel aesthetic. There was something familiar about the shop that he couldn’t figure out. So Roxas stepped inside.

The bell above the door rang softly. Two teenagers sat at a table opposite each other. Both had an ice-cream in one hand and a cell phone in the other. They were absentmindedly scrolling through their phones and occasionally showing each other funny things they found online. As Roxas looked at them, he suddenly saw himself… and a tall redhead.

“ _Trust me, it’s good,” Axel said._

_ "The last time you said that, I almost choked," Roxas frowned. _

_ Axel shrugged. "Hey, I didn't know you couldn't stand spicy foods." _

_ "It tasted like death,” Roxas deadpanned. _

_ Axel waved a light-blue popsicle in front of him. "Then, this will taste like heaven." _

Roxas closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead; as the teenagers walked toward the door, they eyed him with disdain and curiosity.

"Roxas? Is that you?"

The blonde instantly turned toward the low, male voice. A middle-aged man was looking at him and wiping his hands with a cloth. His eyes shone, and his smile told Roxas that he knew him. But no matter how much Roxas racked his brain, he couldn't remember.

"Erm, yeah, it's me," the blonde said hesitantly.

"I haven't seen you in years! Ever since you went abroad," the man laughed. "What brings you back to Radiant Gardens?"

He seemed friendly enough. As Roxas approached him, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I–uh–I missed it here. Nothing beats home, right?"

"Well, I'm glad you're back! Axel's been lonely without you."

"I guess he comes here often."

"You would think he would get sick of ordering the same thing over and over again," the old man said as he reached into a freezer. "But I guess not. Ah, here we are." When the old man handed Roxas a popsicle enclosed in white packaging, Roxas first glanced at the old man in surprise. "It's on the house! Think of it as a homecoming gift."

Roxas took the popsicle and slipped off the packaging. 

_ “It’s salty and sweet,” Roxas suddenly heard Xion say. _

He took a small lick of the treat and smiled.

* * *

"I guess you're not a fan of large events, huh?" Ventus asked Naminé.

Naminé took a bite out of her pasta and shook her head. "Not really," she said. "I'm pretty much a homebody, to be honest."

Ventus chuckled. "I guess you're the same as Terra."

Terra placed his fork beside his empty plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. 

“But I heard from Selphie that the company events are pretty crazy,” Naminé said. 

“They can be,” Ventus agreed. “I heard from someone that people had to dress up as secret agents for the year-end gala one year.”

“I guess the real ones didn’t show up,” Naminé smiled.

Terra and Ventus chuckled. “I wonder what they will do this year,” Ventus mused. He looked at his friend from across the table. “Any ideas?”

“It might be a masquerade ball,” Terra replied. “We’ll know soon enough.”

"Yeah, I guess we–" Ventus suddenly stopped; his expression darkened. Naminé followed his gaze toward the restaurant door and saw a young man with dark hair styled in a way that looked eerily similar to Sora. His light brown eyes almost looked gold under the light. The man saw her, but his gaze instantly went to Ventus.

Naminé glanced at Terra, who had his head turned behind him to look at the young man approaching their table with another man and two women. As the Sora look-alike passed their table, he eyed Ventus and smiled arrogantly.

There was an unsettling silence that Naminé found almost impossible to bear. Finally, she glanced from Ventus to Terra and asked quietly, "Um, who was that?"

“Vanitas,” Terra replied. “He used to be part of our team, but he left and went to Pixxelated.”

“He often competes with us,” Ventus added bitterly. 

“So, you think he’ll be part of the competition Aqua mentioned today?” Naminé asked.

“Yeah, he’ll be there,” Ventus muttered.

Naminé was curious; she could tell from Terra and Ventus that Vanitas had been an invaluable member. But what exactly did he do? Naminé stood up and excused herself for the restroom. When she glanced at Ventus and Terra after rounding the corner, she saw Terra put both his arms on the table and began talking to Ventus, who had dug into the rest of his food.

Moments later, Naminé came out of the washroom stall. As she fixed her hair in the mirror, she thought of Roxas, and her smile fell. She made a mental note to check her phone or call Sora later. Naminé gave herself one last glance in the mirror, then exited the washroom.

She stopped momentarily when she saw Vanitas come around the corner and approaching her. Naminé wasn't sure what it was, but she suddenly felt intimidated. Maybe it was because he was a head taller than her. Or it was the powerful stare and pierced ears.

“Hey, are you Ventus’s new girl?”

Naminé stopped and turned around to face him. “Excuse me?”

Vanitas smiled at her. "Just curious."

"No," she replied sternly. And even if she was, so what?

“Oh, so you work together,” Vanitas deduced. He chuckled and said sarcastically, “Well, good luck in the competition.”

Naminé stared at him with wide eyes. And before Naminé could think about it, she said, "Yeah, you'll need it."

Vanitas had just pushed open the men’s bathroom door. He stopped and gave her a quick glare. However, Naminé had already left.

“Oh, hey, we’re thinking of getting dessert before we go,” Ventus said; he and Terra watched Naminé sit back in her seat. “Do you want anything?” Ventus passed Naminé the small dessert menu.

Naminé took the menu from him and said, "Yeah, I could really use something sweet now."

* * *

Roxas took a deep breath. He stood on the ledge of the clock tower and saw a moving tram pass by below. The sun had set, and the horizon was a chaotic mix of orange, yellow, and red hues. As he closed his eyes, he could hear Xion's laughter. And then his own voice.

_ “You finally smiled.” _

_ Xion's shining blue eyes met his. "Thanks for bringing me out here. It really helped." _

_ "What's been bothering you? You haven't been talking much to anyone in the group." _

_ Xion smiled sadly. "Hey, what do you think of the group? Y'know… its members and all." _

_ Roxas looked at her curiously. "Well, I think the group name sucks. What kind of name is Organization Thirteen?" _

_ Xion chuckled. "Not sure who came up with that one." _

_ Roxas turned to the dimming horizon. "I don't know how I feel about it yet. But something is comforting about knowing that you're not alone." _

_ "You think we're all just a bunch of misfits?" _

_ "What is that supposed to mean?" _

_ Xion smiled sadly. "It means exactly what you think it means." _

Suddenly, Roxas felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and saw a redhead with bright green eyes.

"It looks like you're starting to come around."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. :)


End file.
